The Head of the Church

This is the 3rd sermon in the Authority of Christ series. I preached this sermon October 23, 2011.

Text: Ephesians 4:11-16

Introduction: As some of you know, I played the trombone when I was in the high school band as a kid. Sometimes we made beautiful music as a small high school band, but other times we were really terrible. I can remember sometimes the band director getting so mad at us that he would throw his baton across the room, and even once he stormed out of the room into his office. What would make him so mad, so frustrated? It wasn’t because we didn’t know how to play our instruments, it wasn’t because we couldn’t read the music. Most of the time the source of his frustration was the fact we would not follow his lead. He was the conductor, the head of the band so to speak. But there were times where the musicians would try to assert themselves in front of the conductor.

Sometimes the drums wanted to lead the conductor and you could see his frustration on his face when they would not follow his lead, because when they got ahead of the conductor, or behind the conductor the rest of the band would follow. I can recall sometimes I would follow what I hear coming from the instruments around me rather than the conductor and I would see him frowning at me because I was resisting his lead.

We must be careful as a church of getting ahead of Christ, or lagging behind his lead. The bible likens the church to a body. We are a living breathing organism, not an organization. The bible tells us that we are members of the body and that Christ is the head of the body. But we are often guilty of resisting the headship of Christ. It would be silly for your body to resist your head, your brain. In fact, if your body did things not directed by your brain you would go to a doctor and be labeled with some illness. You would be sick. When members of the body resist the headship of Christ it sickens the body.

We must acknowledge that Christ is the head of the church, but not only that, we must follow His lead as a body. We don’t operate merely as a democracy where everybody gets a vote, but we diligently seek the leadership of Christ as a body in fellowship. We don’t get ahead of him, we don’t get behind, we walk with him as he directs, and we do that, it produces a beautiful symphony!

How can we tell if we are yielding to the headship of Christ?

When Christ is the head there is gifting

Explanation of Gifts

-gift is different from natural born talents – you are born with talents, but you are given a spiritual gift (I was born with a talent for art, but God has gifted me to preach his word.)

-every Christian has a spiritual gift – but that gift must be discovered, developed and perfected. You may have more than one spiritual gift but you don’t have them all (you can’t do everything in the church that needs to be done – including me, your pastor), and everybody doesn’t have the same spiritual gift, everybody doesn’t use it perfectly, and there may be some people with the same gift that may use it in different ways than you do. And there are people farther along in their maturity that have better of mastery of their spiritual gift

Types of Gifts – spiritual gifts are listed in Romans 12:4-8 ⁴For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

⁵So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

⁷Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

⁸Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

, 1 Cor 12:4-11,27-31 ⁴Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

⁵And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

⁶And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

¹¹But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. ²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

²⁹Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?

³⁰Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

³¹But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

and here in Ephesians 4:11.

Apostles and prophets – no longer in existence Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Evangelists – build upon the foundation by winning the lost to Christ

Pastors and teachers – 1 office but 2 ministries – nourish the believers in the Word of God to equip them to do the work of the ministry.

How do you discover and use your gift?

You discover your spiritual gift in the context of fellowshipping with the church and serving in the church – that means more than merely showing up once in awhile for a service, but it means being an active member of the church. If you are not serving in your church it is not your church, but merely a place you go on Sunday.

When Christ is the head there is maturity

Christlikeness – Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Stability – Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Truth Joined with Love – truth w/o love is brutality, love without truth is hypocrisy

– 1 Cor 3:13 ¹And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

²I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

³For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

-time to grow up – Hebrews 5:12-14 ¹²For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

¹³For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

¹⁴But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

-the word matures us 2 Tim 3:16-17 ¹⁶All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

¹⁷That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

When Christ is the head there is harmony

-a picture of harmony

Vs 4:1-6 ¹I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

²With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

³Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

⁴There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

⁵One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

⁶One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Harmony is built upon the gifted using their gifts to serve one another and grow in spiritual maturity.

-we need each other, we belong to each other, no contribution is insignificant.

-notice when the body is in harmony it increases itself and edifies the body.

– why is there lack of harmony in churches?

Causes: not using your gifts, misusing your gifts for your selfish purposes, neglect of Bible study or Bible teaching (Mary & Martha), neglect of prayer and fellowship.

We must repent and get in sync

when the conductor is the head and everybody plays there part under his direction the symphony is stunningly beautiful!